Fractured Past
by Soulfire47
Summary: Rose always had a tendency to keep things from her past secret from her friends, this one is hopefully not going to blow up in the face of her loved ones. The fact that Garnet seems to know is probably the only reason Pearl isn't panicking.


**Hello dear readers, I present my first foray into solo writing. I hope my efforts will turn out adequate enough to not be stoned after the first month.  
Updates will be sporadic and unpredictable, since I have other priorities, and this is really just something of a side project for when I get in a creative mood.  
That said, I'll strive to always find time to write a bit more, even if it's only a few words at a time.**

 **Disclamer: Steven Universe is a property of Rebecca Sugar.**

 **Key:  
** "Spoken word"  
 _Thoughts or emphasis  
_ Future vision

* * *

 _It's been a long time since I last reminisced about my past. Truly remembered what happened all those years ago. How my… nevermind._ I shake my head to chase away the thoughts and images from ages past, instead focusing on the one in front of me. _A Red Eye._

The automated surveillance drone is clearly visible on the display in front of me, not even bothering to be subtle about it's slow descent through Earth's atmosphere. _Looks like I'll have to cut my vacation short. Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually. I just hope it's a one time thing and I won't need to close my shop for good. No one wants another war._

A few keystrokes brings up where the drone is heading, the results bringing strange combination of relief and uncertainty. _Beach City, I suppose it would make sense with the amount of geo-energy gathered there. It's probably better for it to be attracted to_ them _than one of my monitoring stations… like the one hidden inside the local lighthouse._

I take the next few minutes to pack my traveling and general monitoring gear, before checking the surveillance feed one last time. _Still there… now I'm definitely concerned about why they didn't shoot it down already. Uhh… she couldn't have displaced her orbital cannons_ again _, could she?_

I pinch the bridge of my nose in slight frustration at the, more than likely correct, assumption. _Looking at all this, I'll need to go there anyway. If nothing else, that lighthouse sensor is clearly underperforming… I should have seen that Eye at least an hour ago._

Quickly shutting everything down, I move for the doors leading outside. A quick glance at the mirror next to them has me readjusting my hair a bit. _There, smoothed nicely to the right, eyepatch is barely visible, perfect._

* * *

 **Garnet**

* * *

I was worried, but not about the Red Eye... not really. It was going to be destroyed, _that_ wasn't in question, what was was the method of destruction. The vast majority of potential timelines have Steven activating the Light Cannon, the few where he doesn't, the weapon activates on its own anyway. And while that brings its own concerns, the visions where Steven is unsuccessful are worse.

Red Eye is getting close. It has already started affecting the town and Steven is nowhere to be seen. A yell of fright from somewhere behind causes the six armed figure to break apart into three smaller ones, Pearl is panicked too much to hold the fusion and is paralyzed with indecision. Red Eye is too close, there isn't enough time to cal-

"Hey guys!"

Steven is here just on time, and he has the Light Cannon. _Good, any other path would lead into dangerous seeking of answers to unsettling questions._

I was brought out of my thoughts as we helped aim the cannon, though I couldn't help but glance at the cliff above the temple. I was barely able to get a glimpse of a silhouette before the cannon fired and the Red Eye exploded.

A flash of light from the lighthouse atop the cliff, a dark silhouette standing on the roof. An explosion shakes the town as a beam is fired from a weapon sitting next to the stranger. Single gleaming eye observes from up high as the device is lowered back under the roof.

"Pearl, asses the damage to the house. Amethyst, you go help Steven. I need to check on something." I had to go and make sure.

"Garnet, is something wrong?" The concern in Pearl's voice was clear. She must have caught on, unlike Amethyst, who was splashing around in the water more than actually helping.

"Nothing dangerous, at least for now. Go check on the house, I'll make sure what I saw isn't a threat." I threw Pearl a glance as I continued on my way around the cliff towards the slope up the hill on the other side. She was fidgeting a bit, but was quickly calming down, well… maybe transitioning from worry to exasperation due to Amethyst's antics was a better description.

As I was nearing the lighthouse, the silhouette standing in its shadow became clearer. I had a suspicion as to who I was confronting, but when she stepped out into the fading light, it still stopped me short.

"Hello Garnet, it's been a while." Even if what I saw in front of me didn't quite match up, the voice was familiar enough to dismiss most of my weariness.

"It's been a few years. You look different." And she did, my gaze lingered on her right hand the longest.

"Things change here on Earth, one would believe you would realise that by now." It was said with her usual smile and confidence, though the way the corner of her mouth was twitching showed she was at least somewhat nervous.

"You're not wrong." I took the following lull in conversation to truly look her over. She was shorter than me, probably around average human height. Her straight, dark hair was a lot shorter than I remembered, only barely reaching past her shoulders. It was also arranged to obscure her right eye and part of her face, though the black eyepatch hidden in her hair's shadow was new. Her skin was painted orange by the setting sun, but I knew it was only a trick of the light, for it's true colour was nearing white, much paler than anyone living in a beach town had any right to be. Most of her body was obscured by a black, knee-length coat, revealing only her dark grey, knee-length boots with slightly raised heels. Her left hand was bare, however her right one was obscured by white bandages. Even then, and even through the sleeves of her coat, I could see her whole right arm was slightly bulkier and visibly different from her other one.

"I noticed some additions to the Temple, almost makes me think there are humans living there." The remark comes after about a minute of silence, and in that time, much of her nervousness was replaced by curiosity.

"It's like you said, things change here on Earth." My shot back has her smiling for a bit, though it quickly turns into a slight frown as she looks behind her.

"I didn't see Rose down there." She asked with a tilt of her head, gesturing down at the beach.

"Rose… isn't around any longer." It still pains me to talk about in such way, but the widening of her eye prompts me to go on. "It was about a year after you left on your… trip."

"She really did it then. It would explain why I didn't get a message back after I returned." Her soft and somber voice cut through the gentle sounds of a sunset ocean. She took a few steps to the edge of the cliff before speaking up again. "I think I recognize that man on the beach, he's the one, isn't he?"

"Greg, yes. And the little one is their son, Steven." I said back after stopping next to her, looking down at Greg and Steven drying out a few wet blankets from inside the van. We stayed silent after that, just watching the carefree interaction below. It was a few minutes later that she turned around and started walking down the hill, towards the main city.

"I think I'll stay a while this time. Rose always said that I should meet with the other two."

"Huh… didn't think you would chose this possibility. Good thing you didn't introduce yourself by firing off that thing you have hidden inside the lighthouse." I overcame my surprise just before she could walk out of earshot, and my response made her stumble almost comically.

"Heh, nothing gets past you, does it? It wasn't needed in the end. See you around, Garrett." There was only one thing left to say after that.

"See you around, and welcome back, Kai."

* * *

 **Any advice is always welcome, I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible, I just wanted to test the waters with this one.**


End file.
